S00.E158: Eve of the Daleks

[DanaK]

Quote

New Year’s Eve. Sarah is working - again. Nick is her only customer - again. Same old same old. Except this year, their countdown to midnight will be the strangest and deadliest they have ever known. Why is an executioner Dalek targeting these two people, in this place, on this night? Why are they having to live through the same moments again? Can the Doctor, Yaz and Dan save them and survive into the New Year?

Guest stars Aisling Bea as Sarah and Adjani Salmon as Nick

Premieres Saturday, January 1 2022 at 7pm in the UK on BBC1 and BBC iPlayer. In the US, as part of a global simulcast, it premieres on BBC America and AMC+ at 2pm ET and repeats as an extended edition on BBC America at 8pm ET

[DanaK]

This was a lot of fun. I was entertained and it was pretty funny, especially some of the Dalek lines

And Yaz has basically said out loud to Dan that she "likes likes" the Doctor and Dan has said out loud to the Doctor that Yaz "likes likes" her

[NeenerNeener]

2 minutes ago, DanaK said:

it was pretty funny,

Yeah, the line about killer robots being more likely than Council employees working on New Years Eve was pretty funny. I'm getting tired of Yaz though. As much as I love Jodi as The Doctor I'm ready for a whole cast reset.

[DanaK]

Did anyone in the US get to see the special via AMC+ (during the 2pm ET broadcast)? I kept checking it while I was watching via BBC America and it never appeared on there, so I ended up watching the whole thing via BBC America in real time and of course had to sit through the ads

Edited January 1, 2022 by DanaK

[DanaK]

I did finally find the special on AMC+. It wasn’t under Series 13 but under its own grouping, which I found by searching under Series->New episodes

[tkc]

I liked it a lot, but I was confused for a moment about the explanation of the storage facility’s name: did Sarah mean it was called ELFS STORAGE before the S dropped off? 😄

Also, I didn’t know how Dan would fit in to the show, but he is just really down to earth and likeable!

[Llywela]

2 hours ago, tkc said:

I liked it a lot, but I was confused for a moment about the explanation of the storage facility’s name: did Sarah mean it was called ELFS STORAGE before the S dropped off? 😄

It was SELF STORAGE, but the first s fell off, leaving it as ELF STORAGE.

It was a fun episode, had a lot of good jokes that landed well. Suffered from the usual tortuous writing of the Doctor's exposition, and I do find the 'companion in love with the Doctor' trope tedious beyond words because we already know how that will end, but other than that, an entertaining hour of telly.

[John Potts]

That was great fun! OK, a little reminiscent of Star Trek's Cause and Effect with a touch of Who's Blink (though Old Who had done time loops before that - City of Death, for example), but hey, nothing wrong with putting a new twist on an old classic. The only thing that seemed a little unlikely was that Dalek's could be taken out by dynamite - you'd think for the Universe's ultimate war machines they'd be tougher than that. I was slightly annoyed that Dan got to be so wise to Yaz's feelings in such a short time, but then they reminded us that they'd actually walked the Earth together for years, so fair enough.

I could mention other nitpicks, but overall, a great capper on Jodie's run. If only all the Chibnall's efforts had been this good!

ETA: Also loved that everyone's first thought on coming back from the dead was to make sure everyone else knew how much danger they were in. Though I guess it's hard to maintain audience sympathy if somebody is clearly a selfish arsehole (even though the others would presumably keep saving them)!

Edited January 2, 2022 by John Potts

[John Potts]

3 hours ago, tkc said:

I was confused for a moment about the explanation of the storage facility’s name: did Sarah mean it was called ELFS STORAGE before the S dropped off? 😄

It's actually "ELFS STORAGE" - where do you think elves go from one Christmas to the next (and showing the usual signwriters contempt for grammar)? And apparently they live off (expired) tins of beans!

[DanaK]

Overnights were 3.21 million viewers and 6th for the night, down from the 2021 special’s 4.69 million; first was The Tourist premiere at 4.59 million. Overall viewing was down from last year

Edited January 2, 2022 by DanaK

[JustHereForFood]

I liked it a lot too. The owner of the storage was a great character.

I kept looking at the timer and I think some of the loops actually took longer than they were supposed to, but I don't mind. It was a nice, action-packed fun.

[ElleryAnne]

Ok, so there were a lot of funny moments.  I liked Sarah.  She had personality.  I kinda wish Chibnall had written her personality into one of the companions from the start, because I feel like I know Sarah better after one episode than I know Yaz in three seasons.  

Nick was okay, if a little weird. 

I like time loop stories, but they sometimes suffer from not knowing when not to show fifty iterations of the same moment.  I think this episode handled that well, with everyone figuring out early on that they were actually in a time loop and reacting differently because of it.  Also the loop shortened by a minute each time? That was actually a pretty nice variation on the theme.  

I hate the companion-in-love-with-the-Doctor thing. 

Spoiler

I hated it with Rose and Ten, even though I adore Ten and generally like Rose.  I hated when they hinted at it early on with Amy and Eleven, and was eternally grateful that they had her choose Rory and stay devoted to him.  I hated the teeny-weeny barely-there hint of it with Clara and Eleven.  I didn't even like the hint of Martha having a slight crush on Ten, and I absolutely adore Martha even more than I do Ten.

And I hate it here with Yaz and Thirteen. 

I like Dan, but I forget he exists whenever he's off-screen.  

Overall, not a bad episode.  I can imagine rewatching it occasionally (which is something I rarely say about a Chibnall episode).

[Starchild]

Nick was boring, but Sarah was a hoot. I would have loved to see her as a companion. Great snark, shades of Donna Noble.

[momo]

On 1/1/2022 at 12:58 PM, DanaK said:

Did anyone in the US get to see the special via AMC+ (during the 2pm ET broadcast)? I kept checking it while I was watching via BBC America and it never appeared on there, so I ended up watching the whole thing via BBC America in real time and of course had to sit through the ads

WHAT KIND OF "BONUS" WAS THAT!

[benteen]

Really good episode.  I've been a fan of time loop episodes since Cause and Effect on Star Trek The Next Generation.  This one was well done and a good use of the Daleks, though it does expose several of their design flaws.

Good performances from the cast.  Sarah was great fun and funny (nice comparison to Donna in a previous post) and I liked Nick.  Some good humor there, like wondering if Nick was a serial killer.  I liked the closed setting as well.  

It's been done a lot but a companion in love with The Doctor doesn't bother me.  It would make sense for Dan to figure that out about Yaz.  He is more Yaz's companion than The Doctor's.  She and Dan work well off of each other.

Looking forward to the next special.

 

Edited January 3, 2022 by benteen

[Maren]

I think I'm the only one who didn't like it lol. Chibnall is really such a bad writer, sigh. And why did it take the Daleks pointing out the Tardis was the one causing the time loop? That made the Doctor look so stupid. And I guess Dan's whole purpose is to be a shipper and cheerleader for Doctor/Yaz? Ugh. I soooo hate these "romances" with the Doctor and Companion the reboots have catered too. I was really hoping at least with a female Doctor, we'd escape that. But I guess not. Another reason why I miss Donna and Bill. 

I did find Sarah amusing. It was the actress lol. She had some spark and energy and sarcasm I appreciated immensely lol. 

I will be so glad when RTD comes back.

[DoctorAtomic]

My tivo recorded the 90 minute special and a 150 minute 'extended edition'. Is the extended adding anything or not worth it? 

[DanaK]

34 minutes ago, DoctorAtomic said:

My tivo recorded the 90 minute special and a 150 minute 'extended edition'. Is the extended adding anything or not worth it? 

The extra hour was a special premiere of AMC+'s Firebite series. The 3 or 4 minutes extra in the actual episode was more BTS cast comments. Neither episode showed the Spring special teaser.

 

[taanja]

On 1/2/2022 at 2:42 AM, John Potts said:

That was great fun! OK, a little reminiscent of Star Trek's Cause and Effect 

Yeah Star Trek Next Gen - Cause and Effect as well as X Files - Monday (the exploding bank ep) and of course like Dan said -- Groundhog Day!<<that is what I first thought Haha!

I have never had a problem with the companion/sidekick love for the Doctor. (I remember # 4 and Romana)

I loved # 9 and Rose (The Doctor Dances!) from the moment Christopher Eccleston held out his hand for Billie Piper and she clasped it -- My heart be still! I fell in love and never looked back.

# 11 and Clara and # 12 and Clara! I understood perfectly why the Doctor loved Clara -- she was born for him - literally. What's not to love about that? (Plus Matt Smith and Jenna Coleman had some mad chemistry)

I wouldn't mind Yaz and the Doctor - except they lack the chemistry and cuteness of the others I mentioned above. Yaz may give some longing looks but the Doctor most def does not. There is nothing there.

but I digress.

I liked this ep. It was fun. Always have loved a good time loop. I knew they had to figure it out by the end but boy did they cut it close!!!!

So that dude -- whatshisname- ducked so that the Daleks shot themselves - so why didn't they keep doing that? That scenario repeated itself a couple of times --- human caught between two Daleks-- but only the one time did the human think to duck.

It was weird that the Daleks had to explain that it was the TARDIS that caused the temporal time loop --- I figured it out right away. I guess The Doctor has never watched an ep of Doctor Who?

I liked Sarah better than Yaz or Dan.

 

 

[tennisgurl]

That was a lot of fun, an enjoyable relatively low stakes probably lower budget adventure after the massive epic Flux event. I love a good time loop story, its surprising that its taken Doctor Who this long to do one, its a staple of all kinds of genre shows, and I think they used it quite well. Nick was cute and I really liked Sarah and her snark, I am glad that they both made it out and ended up together. Plus, its an everybody lives episode, perfect to ring in the new year!

A lot of funny lines, like how Nick thought that being killed by aliens made more sense then people from the counsel showing up for an inspection on New Years Eve and the running jokes about Sarah's mom thinking that all the lines will be tied up when it hits 12 on the New Year and the ridiculous amount of stuff that the other storage employee Jeff has hidden, the whole cast and the guest stars had really good comedic timing. "Its not 1974!" 

I figured that Yaz would admit that she likes likes the Doctor, it has been heading that way for awhile. I like the idea of them, but like all of the Doctor's romances, especially with companions, its certainly not going to be a happy ending. 

Jodi always does best with this kind of manic almost wacky energy, this show a good episode for her, even if I am surprised it took the Daleks to explain why the time loop was happening, it was pretty obvious. I also really liked the scene near the start when the Doctor saw the Daleks kill Sarah the first time and she angrily jumped in saying that they would pay for that. Its one of the Doctor's best traits, every person is worth jumping in to defend or avenge, even just one random person the Doctor has never met. Which is why I really hope they go onto more explore the ramifications of half the universe being destroyed, that is really something the Doctor would care about. 

[Megras]

I think it could be interesting if Yaz stays after the regeneration and what what that might mean for her "liking" The Doctor, even if I'm not a great one for Doctor romance.

[DoctorAtomic]

6 hours ago, taanja said:

I wouldn't mind Yaz and the Doctor - except they lack the chemistry and cuteness of the others I mentioned above. Yaz may give some longing looks but the Doctor most def does not. There is nothing there.

When Dan said to the Doctor, 'yes, you do', the Doctor looked totally blank. There is nothing there. And there shouldn't be, but the Doctor should know how to handle a crush. I didn't like Rose/Nine/Ten though I liked them overall. I don't have too much issues with people falling for the Doctor. I liked Yaz and Dan's conversation because I didn't know if Yaz meant "I've never told anyone" that she was a lesbian/queer/bi/not straight. Some more layers there at least. 

3 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

I figured that Yaz would admit that she likes likes the Doctor, it has been heading that way for awhile. I like the idea of them, but like all of the Doctor's romances, especially with companions, its certainly not going to be a happy ending.

This, I'm definitely sick of. I'll take all the Companions macking, TARDIS style before one of them meeting a bad end. I'm so relieved Ryan and Graham walked away. That's the way the Doctor should be - Ryan learned a lot, and he wanted to go back to Earth to do his part, even if it was just helping out his mates. 

I think Dan will get "I'm over this and walk". I'm worried Yaz is going to be RYDEORDIE for the Doctor. 

I really like the Doctor's big monologue about being a team, learning, and defeating the Daleks. That's what the show is about for me. They were all scared and tired, and they stepped up in the end. She also had some good derision for the Daleks too. 

I'm all for time loops and body switching episodes. 

 

[Lantern7]

Doctor: Okay, Gang . . . it's just three of us. Can three of us be a gang?

Dan: (shrugging) I . . . maybe?

Yaz: (to Dan) From before you came on board. Don't worry.

Doctor: Right. This is the New Year's episode. It's a bit of fluff with Daleks. It's a time loop episode . . . but the problem is that we're not going to refer to Groundhog Day. At all.

Dan & Yaz: (gasping)

[looking at the Crowning Moments of Funny for S13 on TVTropes.org . . . Dan did reference it. In my defense I am pretty dense]

This was fun. Secondary characters wound up growing on me. Good mix of Daleks getting snippy and people getting snippy around Daleks knowing how deadly they are. And Nick got two Daleks to blow each other up! You know, if people remembered all the Dalek invasions that have recently occurred, that would be the first lesson. "Get between two of them, duck while they kill each other in the crossfire."

How many more stories does Jodie have? I will miss her as the Doctor. I'm probably weak because I don't think there's such a thing as a bad Doctor. She checks the boxes . . . she can go drama, she can do funny, she can make silly faces, and she's got a good signature look. Is it weird that I've grown attached to that hair? Not in a creepy way, though.

[DanaK]

3 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

Doctor: Okay, Gang . . . it's just three of us. Can three of us be a gang?

Dan: (shrugging) I . . . maybe?

Yaz: (to Dan) From before you came on board. Don't worry.

Doctor: Right. This is the New Year's episode. It's a bit of fluff with Daleks. It's a time loop episode . . . but the problem is that we're not going to refer to Groundhog Day. At all.

Dan & Yaz: (gasping)

[looking at the Crowning Moments of Funny for S13 on TVTropes.org . . . Dan did reference it. In my defense I am pretty dense]

This was fun. Secondary characters wound up growing on me. Good mix of Daleks getting snippy and people getting snippy around Daleks knowing how deadly they are. And Nick got two Daleks to blow each other up! You know, if people remembered all the Dalek invasions that have recently occurred, that would be the first lesson. "Get between two of them, duck while they kill each other in the crossfire."

How many more stories does Jodie have? I will miss her as the Doctor. I'm probably weak because I don't think there's such a thing as a bad Doctor. She checks the boxes . . . she can go drama, she can do funny, she can make silly faces, and she's got a good signature look. Is it weird that I've grown attached to that hair? Not in a creepy way, though.

There are 2 specials left in her era, the next one in the Spring and the last one in Autumn (Fall), where 13 regenerates. I’ll miss her too

[HauntedBathroom]

18 hours ago, DoctorAtomic said:

When Dan said to the Doctor, 'yes, you do', the Doctor looked totally blank. There is nothing there. And there shouldn't be, but the Doctor should know how to handle a crush. 

13 and Yaz have the sexual chemistery of dried out pasta, but then 13 has no spark with any of her companions, and none of them have spark with each other. The whole crew are as neutered as Action Man.

[Kite]

This was a lot of fun! Something I’ve really appreciated about Flux and Eve & generally like in my Doctor Who. Silliness and banter and ridiculous situations. Mixed in with the more serious moments. 
 

So many good lines, Sarah was hilarious. “We have DIED, okay??” “JEFF!!!!” Really liked her. The unseen Jeff’s presence got funnier and funnier. “Daleks are not fairrrr!!” “Daleks are never sorryyy!!” “Daleks do not store stuff!!” had me cracking up. Nick’s obsessive cataloguing of his ex-girlfriends’ stuff in case they asked for it back had me imagining all sorts of scenarios where they climb out the window leaving their shoes etc just to get away from him while he’s in the lav, it’s only funny in the context of a rom com though.

And of course thankyou, we get time for some decent interpersonal dynamics with the TARDIS crew. Glad they finally went there with Yaz / Doctor, though it’s been clear for a while it was going to be at least definite subtext, & fairly clear it was going to be more than that for a couple of episodes. I quite liked how carefully ambiguous / subtext-y the Doctor’s feelings were, since that’s something the show dances around for various (valid) reasons, and it’s obviously pushing for them to only be made clear at the very end, because the Doctor, especially THIS Doctor, is only honest when in a heightened state. 
 

Yaz will never get that calm still moment on the beach. At the end of the Vanquishers the Doctor is carried away with emotion and promises Yaz something (intimate, for her) she knows she can’t - and shouldn’t - deliver. It’s undercut immediately when it’s interrupted. Honesty will only come with tragedy. 

The regeneration finale will be a reckoning for the Doctor in many ways, in Eve the foreshadowing is shown here by Sarah yelling that it’s the Doctor’s fault, and the Doctor’s overly particular indignation that this particular massacre is being blamed on her. Interesting to see what the pirate special adds.

[JustHereForFood]

15 hours ago, Kite said:

Yaz will never get that calm still moment on the beach.

I can take a calm moment on the beach, just please not an overdramatic moment on the beach like Rose and 10 in Doomsday. That was so overdramatic it made me laugh. 

I completely understand a companion falling for the Doctor, but not the other way around, since from the Doctor's perspective, the difference of their life experiences must be enormous. So I hope it will stay as an unrequited crush (as all Doctor/companion relationships should).

[Eulipian 5k]

Who eats beans , and thinks 'this could be more beefy'? and "Daleks do not store stuff!" were the MVP lines I didn't know the

Who-niverse needed.

[Cobb Salad]

1 hour ago, Eulipian 5k said:

Who eats beans , and thinks 'this could be more beefy'? and "Daleks do not store stuff!" were the MVP lines I didn't know the

Who-niverse needed.

I also enjoyed the line “Daleks have no friends” myself.  😆

[DanaK]

7-day ratings: 4.399 million viewers, 21.2% share. 26th place for the week, but there were lots of drama competition this year

Edited January 10, 2022 by DanaK
Updated figures

[taanja]

On 1/6/2022 at 11:51 AM, Eulipian 5k said:

Who eats beans , and thinks 'this could be more beefy'? and "Daleks do not store stuff!" were the MVP lines I didn't know the

Who-niverse needed.

The beef and beans cracked me up! I never knew such nastiness existed! and then stacks and stacks of cans and cans of beef and beans-- the things which nightmares are made of - for sure!

[DanaK]

28-day ratings: 4.754605 million viewers (ETA: 22nd for the week)

Edited January 31, 2022 by DanaK

[Affogato]

On 1/14/2022 at 12:36 PM, taanja said:

The beef and beans cracked me up! I never knew such nastiness existed! and then stacks and stacks of cans and cans of beef and beans-- the things which nightmares are made of - for sure!

Most canned Chili is beef and beans. 

[jacehan]

One thing I've liked is the Scouserness of Dan - complaining about ending up on Manchester, barbs about Sheffield - and, in fact,  the whole dynamic of light teasing he has with Yas